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Also as part of the class it opened my eyes fully to that in an active shooter or terrorist event you must use overwhelming violence and ferocity of action and stop them at all costs. That's the time to give everything, how can you ask others to do that and not be willing to do it yourself?

SigPro09 and Papa share the 9/11 wake up with me and many here I am sure.

I was in elementary school in 1963 when our teacher was summoned to the hall by the Principal. She returned to the class room crying to tell us about the Kennedy assassination.

I saw the 9/11 attack when I turned on the news to see the weather report that morning. I went to the farm with my handyman. We had a radio tuned to a Pittsburgh news station. I have always flown a flag and had a new one ready to place that day. I am under 100 miles from Camp David I remember F-15s flying low through the mountain valleys. I probably exaggerate but if they were closer I could have read the pilots name tags. I waved the new flag still in my hands at an approaching plane and got a wing dip. My handyman was a hunter and a shooter. His wife used to work in my law office and was working for the state that day. She was constantly on the cell phone voicing concerns about being in a gubmint building. John's son had just recently joined the National Guard. We both knew it was war and I could see the father's concern in his eyes. It was clear we were not going to get any work done that day. I had John run a mag through an AK and lent him one with spare mags and told him to go home to be with his with his family.

SigPro09 and Papa share the 9/11 wake up with me and many here I am sure.

I was in elementary school in 1963 when our teacher was summoned to the hall by the Principal. She returned to the class room crying to tell us about the Kennedy assassination.

I saw the 9/11 attack when I turned on the news to see the weather report that morning. I went to the farm with my handyman. We had a radio tuned to a Pittsburgh news station. I have always flown a flag and had a new one ready to place that day. I am under 100 miles from Camp David I remember F-15s flying low through the mountain valleys. I probably exaggerate but if they were closer I could have read the pilots name tags. I waved the new flag still in my hands at an approaching plane and got a wing dip. My handyman was a hunter and a shooter. His wife used to work in my law office and was working for the state that day. She was constantly on the cell phone voicing concerns about being in a gubmint building. John's son had just recently joined the National Guard. We both knew it was war and I could see the father's concern in his eyes. It was clear we were not going to get any work done that day. I had John run a mag through an AK and lent him one with spare mags and told him to go home to be with his with his family.

We all changed that day.

Choirboy

The XO and I were in Maine on 9/11, finishing up a vacation we had spent in the Canadian maritimes. We had crossed the border on 9/10, and had planned in advance to spend a day in Maine before returning home. We were in a little restaurant that had a TV that had been turned on after the first plane hit...the 2nd plane hit while we were finishing up.

I'll never forget the drive home...how exposed I felt in so many ways.

I made some clumsy attempts to become capable, but it took about 4 years before I got on the trajectory I am now.

I found a shooting club that emphasized action shooting. Met a couple teachers that very much changed my life.

One was and is a committed gamer. He learned from Mike Dalton (came to New England from CA). He was and is a terrific shooter and teacher. He understands the bio-mechanics of shooting and gun handling better than anyone else I know. He helped me with my grip, and largely taught me the fundamentals I would need to develop as a shooter.

The other teacher was somebody about my age, retired on disability corrections officer...had also been on a SWAT team. He taught me the fundamentals of carbine, a lot of invaluable information on gunsmithing, he taught me how to load ammo', both pistol and rifle...and most importantly, he taught me the importance of a fighting mindset. Yeah, he would compete, but he was first and foremost a martial artist.

About 150K rounds later, I've taken classes from others, but it is the foundation that these two men helped me lay that has made the difference for who I am and continue to become today.

For those that Gabe is reaching out to in terms of "Is it real for you?", I can't recommend enough the idea of seeking out competent instruction from an instructor like Gabe or one of his team that bases their teaching on real world application.

Waking up isn't enough...having some expert guidance on which direction to go once awake is critical.

In order for the underprivileged and inept to feel adequate, the skilled and capable must be made stupid by decree.

- Gabe Suarez, 12/13/2011

“If a broad ban on firearms can be upheld based on conjecture that the public might feel safer (while being no safer at all), then the Second Amendment guarantees nothing.”

Both my brother and I were at the range when we first heard from the safety range officer. Followed by a moment of silence (prayer) and then the fire within was burning. Perhaps this was what Stephen Willeford called "the Holy Spirit was on me" ? For the rest of range time, we went from rifle to pistol. I reminded my brother that the majority of the time, the chances when things do go south it will the pistol we have on us. Hence the focus during the pistol range was there, but certainly different...more precise and razor like.

Gabe's original post brings me back to important lessons & drills learned during the Houston October class and why we do what we do.

Better choice of words and why eloquence is a desirable attribute of men of action. "The spirit of the Lord came upon him". That has far more poignant connotations. To wit as an example -

"The Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands. Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men. Then Samson said, "With a donkey's jawbone I have made donkeys of them. With a donkey's jawbone I have killed a thousand men." (Judg. 15:9-16 NIV)